How to replace Textures on .smd files?

[Nswthomasfan]

Hi there, here's a Question that i can't find any info on so i'm wondering if anyone can possibly help me out with.

So i'm currently working on a mod that re-creates how Half-Life 2 may had looked around November 8th 2001 (i remember reading that was when Version 2.2 of the HL1 SDK was released) and I've been wanting to get into texturing models so i intend to start by having a go at re-texturing the Old "shadertest/predator.mdl" Alyx Model in XSI (Specifically the 4.2 Version - https://www.sourcemodding.com/blog/news/softimage-xsi-exp-for-half-life-2/#:~:text=XSI%20Mod%20Tool%204.2 ) using the Leaked .smd files (from the 2023 Repository Leak) along with trying to see what the female citizens look like with the "female_front" and "female_back" textures from the extras folder, But i'm only capable of adding one texture to the model (and the XSI tutorials that I've founded were not helpful in understanding how to edit a model to use different textures), So i'm wondering if anyone on here may know how to Possibly edit Models to use different textures?

I hope someone knows how to edit a model in Softimage to use Different Textures.

[T-braze]

Alyx old model is using lots of textures for each part of the body separately, one for the neck, another for the chest, etc. Female_front" and female_back textures from the extras folder contains all that parts in just two textures. It means you have to edit UVs for the model first to fit these textures, then assign two materials with them, instead of the old ones.

I wish I'd help you, but the last time I ran XSI was over 10 years ago, and i dont't even remember how it looks, not even speaking about how to work with UVs and materials there

Its really better to use Blender now - a lot of tutorials, videos.

[Nswthomasfan]

Alright, So after some digging I'd came across this Tutorial on Unwrapping UVs in Softimage. -

Afterward, I then decided to try putting chestneck.tga (From the 2023 Repo materialsrc/models/alyx Subfolder) on predator.smd and while I managed to get it in the Right Spot, it appeared too blurry and I couldn't get the UVs to be right in the Texture Editor so It looks like I may have to use Blender after all (Currently I'm capable of installing up to Blender 2.79B while Source Tools Add-on would be V2.10.2) for this Project. (Looks like I'll need a Tutorial on editing Source UVs in Blender then in this case)

[T-braze]

it appeared too blurry and I couldn't get the UVs to be right in the Texture Editor

I believe there should be texture filtering settings somewhere here.

[Nswthomasfan]

Alright, I'll probably try that if I have another Go at importing predator.smd to XSI Mod Tool 4.2, I'm thinking of doing that when I import the female Citizens to try putting those early Textures to see what they'd look like with those Early front and back Textures. (Most Early Citizen re-creations i've seen [The ones that aren't the Gasmask Citizen Remakes] just put the Girls in the Same outfits as the Male Citizens instead of trying to Utilize those Specfic textures).

[Wolfcl0ck]

For the old predator alyx model, it will take more than just replacing the textures in the smd file itself. The UV maps on the model are different. Unfortunately, I do not know how to use XSI Mod Tools, so I couldn't tell you how to create projected-from-view UVs in that program, but what you want to do is get Alyx's model, project UVs from the front by going into a front-facing isometric view, and then do the same with the back. Afterwards, you'll want to adjust the resulting UV maps until they fit the textures.

[Nswthomasfan]

UPDATE: One thing regarding the Mod i'm working on, it has now changed from representing how HL2 Looked around the time HL1 SDK had it's Penultimate WON Update (SDK 2.2 While the final Version was 2.3 in October 2002 before being added to Steam in 2013) to my previous intention of how it looked around May 2002 which was when Valve were intending to show HL2 at E3 2002 (Several WC Maps were last edited around May 16th 2002 -https://leaknet.org/files/HL2B_WC_Builds/ while sounds were being added up to around May 20th. - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7JIKUn-ZBIva2JVcVlDY2xlTWs/view?resourcekey=0-zutTRwyidJ4Nnp5rXXPbNQ ).

But anyways, I've Managed to get torso.tga onto Predator.smd. Unlike my previous attempts This time i did save it (Not in the repo folder but in the modelsrc sub folder of the Mod i'm working on) instead of quiting and starting over like my previous attempts.

If Anyone wants to try doing this, here's the method i've founded.

1. First import mesh (.smd) into XSI 4.2 from whichever folder the model source file is located in.
2. Use the Select tool to Select the Whole Mesh, Then By using the Select Polygon Tool, Select the Section of the model that you wanna add Textures onto.
3. After that, use the Render - Get - Texture -> Image function. This brings up the Import Texture window. Then click new to add the needed Texture from which folder the desired texture source is located in (e.g. materialsrc, etc.)

But back On topic, i've ran into another problem where if i open the edited mesh (after exporting as .smd) and then try to reselect any part of the Mesh The viewports show i've Selected the mesh, but the "Layers" tab on the left side says i've selected "Bipe01_L_Bicep" instead of "Mesh" which is the part i'm trying to select. Then if i import another Texture (e.g. Chestnesk.tga etc.) and then export the .smd again, it says i've reached the polygon Limit.

After some thinking i then figured i had to save it as an .exp (and only export it to .smd after i finish adding all the Necessary textures) so i saved it in the Data\XSI_SAMPLES\Scenes subfolder of my XSI Mod tool 4.2 installation, then i reloaded it as an .exp and founded that i could indeed still apply textures if it was an .exp, So after restarting again, i managed to get both torso.tga and jacket.tga onto predator.smd (Second attachment).

[Nswthomasfan]

UPDATE No.2: After restarting a few more times, i think i've nearly recreated the Old Alyx pretty Accurately. (I've also started on the old female citizen with the female_front and female_back textures as well, but haven't taken screenshot yet) There are some unfinished bits such as the Back of Alyx's Hair (As i can't get the Select Polygon tool to target the right parts) as well as the beltstrap texture not yet been added, but i hope this will be good enough for test compiling it in a few days. (I read another post saying the Leaknet 2.0's studiomdl seemed more better than the one in the Leak or the previous version of leaknet So i may try using that along with Leaknet's Hammer as i'm having Issues with the normal Hammer [Which seems to happen whenever null.wad is inserted])

Anyways, here's an attachment that shows the work i've done since those 2 photos in my pevious post here.